Sri Lanka’s new Marxist-leaning president has sworn in a 21-member Cabinet after his party secured a two-thirds parliamentary majority in last week's election.

Sri Lanka’s President Anura Kumara Dissanayake retained the finance and defense portfolios as he administered the oath of office to 21 cabinet ministers on Monday after his coalition won a historic supermajority in the parliamentary election held last week.

Unveiling the full list of Cabinet ministers, Dissanayake announced Harini Amarasuriya as the Prime Minister, who will also be the Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education.

This would give Dissanayake sweeping powers to even abolish the contentious executive presidency as he has planned.

Anura Kumara Dissanayake was born on November 24, 1968, in Thambuththegama, Sri Lanka, into a working-class family. His father was a labourer, and his mother a housewife. Mr Dissanayake was involved in the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) party during his school years and was the first student from the college chosen for admission into the university.

By Uditha Jayasinghe COLOMBO (Reuters) -Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake retained the key finance minister portfolio and reappointed Harini Amarasuriya as prime minister on Monday as the Indian Ocean island nation targets stronger recovery from a draining financial crisis.

Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Dissanayake retained the key defence and finance portfolios in a new cabinet he announed Monday after sweeping snap parliamentary elections last week.

Dissanayake's decision to call polls nearly 10 months ahead of schedule and secure legislative backing for his agenda was vindicated when his National People's Power (NPP) won 159 seats in the 225-member assembly.

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake reappointed Harini Amarasuriya as the prime minister of the Indian Ocean island nation on Monday. Dissanayake, whose leftist coalition won 159 seats in the 225-member parliament in Thursday's general election,